Geoff McBride
The city of Chickamauga, Ga., and its Downtown Merchants Association are kicking off a new community event on Friday, April 7, in downtown Chickamauga.
First Fridays is a free, monthly music series that will be held on Gordon Street in downtown Chickamauga. The street will close to traffic at 5:30 p.m. for a 6 p.m. performance on the first Friday of each month. Audience members are invited to bring a folding chair, set up their seat and listen to the show, then wrap up their night with a visit to any of the surrounding merchants.
Geoff McBride, a contestant on "The Voice" in 2012, will perform for the inaugural First Friday. The powerhouse singer stunned judges Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green with his interpretation of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" during his blind audition. The two judges fought to be his coach before McBride chose Aguilera.
The North Carolina native's career began when a demo he worked on found its way into the hands of several label heads and he got offers for recording deals from Atlantic, Motown and Arista. He signed with Clive Davis' label in the late 1980s and recorded an album for Arista, "Do You Still Remember Love," which was produced by the late Gerald Levert and charted one hit, "No Sweeter Love."
He performed regularly at Cafe 290 in Atlanta before moving to the Florida Panhandle in 2006, then to the mountains of western North Carolina. He now tours around the Southeast singing for private parties, fundraising events and in various venues.
For more about First Fridays: www.cityofchickamauga.org.